A groundbreaking artificial intelligence course has been praised by a government minister for helping to prepare the island’s workforce to take advantage of the technology.

The Bermuda College offers the generative AI foundations and the advanced generative AI and prompt engineering for industry applications programmes.

They are led by Aaron Smith in partnership with the Bermuda Clarity Institute.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, heard presentations made by students at the end of the advanced course.

He said: “It was fascinating to see how they used AI to improve their work or business. This is exactly the kind of thing that we want to encourage.

“I was impressed by the college’s course, which aligns directly with the need for digital innovation.”

The foundations course, made up of five three-hour sessions, is application-based and requires students to complete and present a project.

It was run at the college’s new innovation centre by the Athora Division of Professional and Career Education.

The programme also teaches students skills such as mastering prompting, using different AI apps and understanding ethics around AI.

The advanced course examines subjects such as refining prompts for precision and automating complex business functions.

David Sam, the Bermuda College president, said he believed the institution was helping to lead the way in teaching about AI.

He explained: “While there are some jobs AI won’t be able to do — like changing a car tyre or fixing a leak in a pipe — it is still the future, and we need to help educate people to be ready to make the most of AI.

“The courses with the Clarity Institute are doing exactly that — educating Bermudians to take advantage of new and emerging technology to help themselves and their workplace.”